Apple M1 (7-GPU) vs Apple A15 Bionic. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Family
  Apple M series Apple A series
• CPU group
  Apple M1 Apple A15
• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Generation
  1 15
• Predecessor
  -- Apple A14 Bionic

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Core architecture
  hybrid (big.LITTLE) hybrid (big.LITTLE)
• Overclocking
  No No

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Apple M1 (7 Core) Apple A15 (5 GPU Cores)
• GPU frequency
  1.30 GHz 1.80 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo 3.20 GHz
• Execution units
  112 5
• Shader
  896 0
• Max. GPU Memory
  8 GB 8 GB
• Max. displays
  2 3
• Generation
  1 12
• Technology
  5 nm 5 nm
• Release date
  Q4/2020 Q3/2021

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• h264
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• VP8
  Decode Decode / Encode
• VP9
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• AV1
  No Decode
• AVC
  Decode Decode
• VC-1
  Decode Decode
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Apple A15 Bionic and Apple M1 (7-GPU). The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  LPDDR4X-4266 LPDDR4X-4266
• Max. Memory
  16 GB 8 GB
• Memory channels
  2 (Dual Channel) 2
• ECC
  No No

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Apple M1 (7-GPU) and Apple A15 Bionic to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  15 W 8.5 W
• TDP up
  20 W --
• TDP down
  10 W --

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Apple M1 (7-GPU) and Apple A15 Bionic, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Technology
  5 nm 5 nm
• Socket
  N/A N/A
• L2-Cache
  16.00 MB 4.00 MB
• Architecture
  M1 A15
• Virtualization
  Apple Virtualization Framework None
• Instruction set (ISA)
  ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• ISA extensions
  Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
• Release date
  Q4/2020 Q3/2021
• Part Number
  APL 1102 --